The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
Black
Elk & Meister Eckhart on the Power of Round 12/05/2023 |
In yesterday’s DM, I praised Pope Francis’s recent synod for its round tables where everyone sat--pope, cardinals, bishops, archbishops, lay |
people, young and old. I pointed out how Sara’s Circle, not climbing ladders, is the future. Such a form renders joy and justice more possible and easier, since one can see each other’s eyes and also the smiles or suffering on one another’s faces. Cardinal Cupich of Chicago said that the recent synod represents “a new way of being church.”* Were round to prevail in a future version of church, that would surely be the case. Black Elk celebrates the
holiness |
The Native American Medicine Wheel can have many meanings: 4 directions, 4 seasons, 4 elements, and other aspects of life. Photo by Madison Podjasek on Unsplash. |
of
round when he talks of the “sacred hoop” that constitutes the universe and all its many communities. Also, Everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power |
Walking the concentric circles of a Labyrinth helps bring you back to yourself (rather than making you lost!) Video by the Today show. | of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round....The sky is round, and...the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars .... Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours....Even the seasons form a great circle. |
Meister Eckhart echoes Black Elk when he tells us that “being is a circle for God.” He calls the soul a “circle of the world,” and invites humans to |
be a “circle...filled with the spirit of the Lord.” He says, “heaven runs constantly in a circle,” and he connects heart and heaven, psyche and cosmos this way: Where should we begin? Begin with the heart, which is the noblest part of the body. It lies in the center of the
body from which point it bestows life on the whole body .... The spring of life is placed in the heart. |
The “Flower of Life” is made up of overlapping circles, all of the same diameter. The pattern can be made with an infinite number of circles. Image by Karin Henseler from Pixabay. |
Black Elk tells us that “understanding must be of the heart and not of the head alone.” This brings “peace upon the earth, not only among people, but within them and between the whole of creation.” |
* Gerard O’Connell, Cardinal Cupich on the synod, women deacons, giving bishops job reviews and why ‘LGBTQ’ was left out of
the final doc. America: The Jesuit Review, October 29, 2023.
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times, pp. 215f.
See also Matthew Fox, “Sexuality and Compassion: From Climbing Jacob’s Ladder to Dancing Sarah’s Circle,” in Fox, A Spirituality Named Compassion, pp. 36-67. Banner image: These concentric-circle terraces in Peru, are believed to have been used by the Inca as an agricultural research
station. Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash. |
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Queries for Contemplation Why do you think Black Elk tells us that birds with round nests practice the same religion as Native Americans do? What questions does that
raise for practicing your own religion? |
Responses are welcomed. To add
your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialog, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Matthew’s weekly video reflection now appears each Monday — watch for it! |
Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Time
While Matthew Fox recognizes that Meister Eckhart has influenced thinkers throughout history, he also wants to introduce Eckhart to today’s activists addressing contemporary crises.
Toward that end, Fox creates dialogues between Eckhart and Carl Jung, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rabbi Heschel, Black Elk, Karl Marx, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, Dorothee Soelle, David Korten, Anita Roddick, Lily Yeh, M.C. Richards, and many others.
“Matthew Fox is perhaps the greatest writer on Meister Eckhart that has ever existed. (He) has successfully bridged a gap between Eckhart as a shamanistic personality and Eckhart as a
post-modern mentor to the Inter-faith movement, to reveal just how cosmic Eckhart really is, and how remarkably relevant to today’s religious crisis! ” — Steven Herrmann, Author of
Spiritual Democracy: The Wisdom of Early American Visionaries for the Journey Forward |
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A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice
In A Spirituality Named Compassion, Matthew Fox delivers a profound exploration of the
meaning and practice of compassion. Establishing a spirituality for the future that promises personal, social, and global healing, Fox marries mysticism with social justice, leading the way toward a gentler and more ecological spirituality and an acceptance of our interdependence which is the substratum of all compassionate activity.
“Well worth our deepest
consideration…Puts compassion into its proper focus after centuries of neglect.” –The Catholic Register |
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In the Beginning There Was Joy: A Cosmic Celebration for Kids of All Ages
The first book in the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables series tells the story of the big bang and how humans fit into the awesome, fantastical, cosmic
picture! With artwork curated from illustrators around the world, this book expresses the joy and wonder of all peoples and cultures, planting seeds of respect, cooperation and hope to work together for the healing of our planet.
"Matthew Fox does it again, here for our young ones, who so need a positive, cosmic vision to thrive, or even survive, in a sad time." - Father Richard Rohr, Author of The Universal Christ
"Matthew Fox offers a resounding affirmation of what our souls have always suspected: we are made for joy." - Mirabai Starr, Author
of God of Love and Wild Mercy
Receive a 20% discount when you buy this and one other book from Matthew Fox’s store! Use Promo Code 20% at checkout.
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Join Matthew Fox as he lectures on “What the Mystics Tell Us About Dying “ at the Conference on Death, Grief and Belief, “Emerging Spiritualities: Death and Bereavement Across the Spiritual Spectrum,” Saturday, January 20, 9:00am – 5:00pm PT Register HERE |
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Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Hunger for Wholeness:
What is Wholeness in the Midst of Crisis with Matthew Fox (Part 1) In the midst of increased violence between Israel and Palestine, Ilia Delio and theologian Matthew Fox discuss the state of the world today and how to have courage in Part 1 of their conversation. Ilia and Matt discuss his mentor, Marie Dominique Chenu, the influence of liberation theology
on social justice in the church today, and what can still be learned.
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